Situation: A CEO seeks advice on interviewing both for new hires and promotions. What advice and guidelines do others suggest to improve interviews? How do you interview for new hires and promotions?

Advice from the CEOs:

• Use an interview process that is consistent with the company’s plan and culture.
  • Start with the company’s mission statement.
  • Next develop the value system.
  • Draft a hiring plan that is consistent with the company’s mission and values and develop a process to support this.
• Monitor the process over time and improve it through experience.
• Assure that position descriptions reflect the individual(s) that the company wants to hire.
• Before starting the hiring process, ask “What problem am I solving?” The answer will help to define the talents and attitudes desired in candidates.
• Utilize “listening with a plan”.
  • Be clear on how the person being interviewed is delivering their message. Is their language positive, proactive, energized, or lethargic? Do they take responsibility for their own actions? Do they look at positive aspects of the company they work for and the people they work with? The objective is to make sure that the individuals sought for the job display these characteristics.
• Hire for growth potential, not just to fill the current slot.
• Hire consistent with the values and culture that the company wants to create and foster.
• Hire to skills needed rather than value to yourself and the firm.
  • Don’t just hire on cultural aspects. Evaluate and check the skill set against what this person is supposed to accomplish. Getting the skills set right is just as important as getting the culture right.

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